Validates expertise in deploying Dell PowerStore storage arrays in open systems environments — covering hardware architecture, Ethernet switching, initial configuration, block/file/VMware provisioning, and data migration.
Master Dell PowerStore deployment — from hardware architecture and Ethernet switching through block, file, and VMware provisioning, remote replication, and cross-array data migration.
Module 01
PowerStore Concepts and Features
›PowerStore system overview and key use cases in block, file, and VMware storage environments
›PowerStore system configurations — T-Series (NVMe-based all-flash) and X-Series (appliance-based) models; scalable building blocks via appliance stacking
›Hardware components — dual-node active-active appliance; NVMe SSDs; built-in intelligence for inline deduplication and compression; unified storage management
›PowerStore management interface — PowerStore Manager UI; REST API for automation; PSTCLI command-line interface for scripted operations
›Key differentiators — always-on inline data reduction; storage containers for flexible provisioning; unified block, file, and VMware storage
Module 02
PowerStore Implementation
›Ethernet switching configuration for PowerStore — ToR switch VLAN design; jumbo frames (MTU 9000); switch port channel/LACP for redundancy
›Network requirements — management IP planning; iSCSI/NFS network segmentation; FC zoning for Fibre Channel environments
›PowerStore licensing process — capacity licensing; software feature licenses (replication, cloud tiering); license installation via PowerStore Manager
›Post-setup validation — verify appliance health, network connectivity, and storage pool readiness before provisioning
Module 03
PowerStore Administration
›Creating and managing host groups — define hosts by initiator (FC WWN or iSCSI IQN); group hosts for shared access to storage resources
›Data protection policies — snapshot rules define frequency and retention; replication rules define RPO; policies group rules for consistent application
›User and role management — built-in roles (Administrator, Storage Operator, VM Administrator, Security Administrator); LDAP/AD integration
›Monitoring and alerts — capacity utilization dashboards; performance metrics; configuring alert thresholds and SMTP notifications
›Storage pools and storage containers — automatic tiering within NVMe pool; storage containers for unified capacity management
Module 04
PowerStore Block Provisioning
›Provisioning volumes (LUNs) — create thin-provisioned volumes; set size, performance policy, and host mapping in PowerStore Manager
›Host access configuration — map volumes to host or host group; configure FC zoning or iSCSI CHAP authentication for secure access
›Applying protection policies — assign snapshot and replication policy to volume; verify policy enforcement and RPO compliance
›Snapshot operations — manual snapshots; snapshot restore restores volume to point-in-time; refresh pushes snapshot data to target volume
›Thin Clones — writable copies of volumes sharing underlying data blocks; space-efficient for dev/test environments
›Data encryption and monitoring — AES-256 encryption at rest; performance dashboards per volume; capacity consumption trending
Module 05
PowerStore File Provisioning
›Provisioning NAS servers — create NAS server with interface (IP address), DNS settings, and file system access protocol (NFS v3/v4 or SMB 2/3)
›Creating file systems — set capacity, thin provisioning, and protection policy; enable deduplication and compression per file system
›NFS exports — configure export path, allowed hosts, access permissions (RO/RW), root squash settings; mount on Linux clients
›SMB shares — create share on file system; configure share-level ACL; integrate with Active Directory for user authentication
›File system quotas — configure user and tree quotas to enforce capacity limits; monitor quota utilization in PowerStore Manager
›NDMP backup support — configure NDMP for integration with backup applications; snapshot-based backup approach
Module 06
PowerStore VMware Provisioning
›VMware integration — register vCenter with PowerStore; auto-detect ESXi hosts as storage hosts; simplified provisioning via PowerStore Manager
›vVol (Virtual Volumes) provisioning — create vVol datastore bound to protocol endpoint; provision VMs directly on vVols for per-VM granular policies
›Applying protection to VMs — assign protection policy to VM on vVol; automated snapshot and replication at VM granularity
›ESXi host access — configure FC or iSCSI access from ESXi to PowerStore; HBA zoning and multipathing (VMware MPIO)
›vMotion and intercluster VM migration — storage vMotion within cluster; PowerStore-to-PowerStore live migration for non-disruptive workload movement
›Remote replication for VMware — configure cross-site VM replication; failover and failback operations for DR testing
Module 07
PowerStore Remote Protection
›Configuring remote replication connections — establish replication session between two PowerStore systems; define remote system credentials and network path
›Block storage remote replication — synchronous and asynchronous replication modes; RPO configuration; monitoring replication lag
›File storage remote replication — NAS server replication; manual and policy-driven failover; source/destination role management
›VMware storage replication — per-VM and datastore-level replication; vSphere integration for automated failover using Site Recovery Manager
›Failover and failback procedures — planned failover (graceful); unplanned failover (immediate); reverse replication after recovery
Module 08
PowerStore Migration
›Migration feature overview — import data from supported sources including Dell EMC VNX, Unity, and XtremIO to PowerStore with minimal downtime
›Monitoring and completing migration — track sync progress in PowerStore Manager; perform test cutover; complete migration and decommission source volumes
Technologies You Will Master
PowerStore T/X Series
NVMe All-Flash
Ethernet Switching
Block Provisioning
File / NAS
VMware / vVol
Protection Policies
Remote Replication
Data Migration
PowerStore Manager
REST API
PSTCLI
iSCSI / FC / NFS / SMB
Host Groups
Thin Clones
AES-256 Encryption
PowerStore T/X Series
NVMe All-Flash
Ethernet Switching
Block Provisioning
File / NAS
VMware / vVol
Protection Policies
Remote Replication
Data Migration
PowerStore Manager
REST API
PSTCLI
iSCSI / FC / NFS / SMB
Host Groups
Thin Clones
AES-256 Encryption
Full Curriculum
8-Module D-PST-DY-23 Programme
Complete PowerStore deployment curriculum — from hardware concepts and Ethernet switching through block, file, and VMware storage provisioning, remote replication, and data migration.
›PowerStore system and use cases in enterprise storage
›PowerStore system configurations and models (T-Series and X-Series)
›PowerStore architecture and hardware components overview
›Accessing PowerStore reference documentation and SolVe
›Configure Ethernet switching — VLANs, jumbo frames, port channels
›Discover and perform initial system configuration wizard
›Describe and perform licensing process for PowerStore
›Network requirements: iSCSI, FC zoning, NFS network design
›Create and manage hosts and host groups
›Configure data protection policies for storage resources
›User roles, LDAP/AD integration, and security settings
›Monitoring dashboards, alerts, and capacity management
›Provision thin-provisioned volumes and configure host access
›Apply protection policies to block storage resources
›Snapshot create, restore, and refresh operations
›Configure and manage Thin Clones and data encryption
›Provision NAS servers and file systems
›Configure client access via NFS exports and SMB shares
›Apply protection policies and file system quotas
›Configure NDMP backup support
›Provision VMware storage and configure ESXi host access
›Create vVol datastores and apply per-VM protection policies
›Configure intercluster VM migration (Storage vMotion)
›Configure remote replication of VMware storage resources
›Configure remote replication for block, file, and VMware
›Failover and failback operations for DR scenarios
›Monitor replication health and RPO compliance
›Reverse replication and recovery procedures
›Describe migration feature, supported sources, and requirements
›Configure migration sessions and source volume mapping
Earn the D-PST-DY-23 Dell Proven Professional certification and demonstrate your expertise deploying PowerStore storage arrays with block, file, VMware provisioning, and data migration.